The American Association for Cancer Research has just put out a news release indicating that moderate consumption of red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men. This finding is based on study published in the latest AACR journal, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

The study found that antioxidant components in red wine could be a deterrent for lung cancer, especially among the portion of the population who smoke.

The study found lung cancer risk decreased by 2% with each glass of red wine consumed per month, up to a 60% reduced lung cancer risk overall (about two glasses per day). Of course those who smoke still face a greater risk than the other participants, no matter how reasonable their drinking. White wine, beer, and liquor use, which were also included in the study, showed no clear associations with lung cancer.

"Red wine is known to contain high levels of antioxidants. There is a compound called resveratrol that is very rich in red wine because it is derived from the grape skin. This compound has shown significant health benefits in preclinical studies," said Chun Chao, Ph.D., a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Department of Research and Evaluation in Pasadena, California. The study also stressed that excessive use of even red wine was not found to be beneficial. You can read the rest of the news release here: Red Wine May Lower Lung Cancer Risk.